We had the pleasure of conducting a field test of the new GF30mm Tilt/Shift lens, entrusting it to Massimo Listri, an internationally renowned photographer of architecture and interiors. After spending few weeks with the new lenses, the Florentine photographer reported and shared his impressions with us.
GFX100 & GF30mmF5.6 T/S
“I must say that this GF30mm T/S lens has been a revelation! I own a FUJIFILM GFX camera, but a lens that would allow me to shoot perfect internal and architecture images was just what I had been waiting for. I could appreciate the quality of the lens from the very beginning when I did the first tests. I think it is really well made. The GF30mm T/S lens is sturdy, extremely smooth in its movement and offers the possibility of locking the position of both tilt and shift dials. I found that aspect really useful during long exposures – sometimes up to a few minutes – to avoid unintentional movements that could have compromised image quality. I must say that I also love the design, that appear elegant and contemporary!
GFX100 & GF30mmF5.6 T/S
I had the opportunity to try out the GF30mm T/S lens for several weeks in multiple locations, and I have noticed immediately the extensive shifting movement that this lens was able to offer. To me, 30mm of excursion represents a great possibility. I honestly never needed to use all the shift movement of the lens, I always stopped first. Moreover, I must say that the 30mm focal length is just perfect, neither too wide nor too long that would not allow you to work comfortably in various contexts. Speaking of comfort, I must say that considering the potential of this lens, the weight and bulk are compact, with a small bag and a tripod I can travel and carry everything I need.
GFX100 & GF30mmF5.6 T/S
Thanks to the GF30mm T/S lens, I regained that excitement, that drive, that fascination in taking pictures that took me back to the old days when I carried my view camera everywhere. Now that this lens exists, I will definitely need to go back to many of the locations I have been in the past to shoot again, and finally get the perfect results I was waiting for.
I believe that the result you get from shooting with a shift lens is unattainable by any post-production technique. In addition, it is much more convenient and practical for me to already see the image with all the corrected lines. Seeing the image immediately with the correct perspective is priceless, you don’t have to wait for a post-production work that, as mentioned, will not manage to give back the depth, line correctness and elegance of a photo taken by a shift lens. Personally, I love to put attention completely on the composition, and thanks to this lens I can do that by already seeing the result in the camera.
GFX100 & GF30mmF5.6 T/S
The final proof of how much the GF30mm T/S lens represents a must-have lens for me from now on, came from opening raw files to the computer. I found a very high sharpness in all conditions of use. It is a very sharp lens both in the center and at the edges, regardless of the amount of shift used. In the images I have taken, I have never noticed any presence of vignetting, and if any grazing light came sideways into the scene, I must say that it was blocked by the threaded metal lens hood which is supplied with the equipment.
I would say that an incredible job has been done!
From now on it is impossible for me to do a photo shooting without the GF30mm T/S lens.
GFX100 & GF30mmF5.6 T/S
